


Back to You | Ron & Hermione

by LionWitch22



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Romance, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon Divergence, F/M, Horcrux Hunting, Horcruxes, POV Hermione Granger, POV Ron Weasley, Shell Cottage (Harry Potter), Slow Romance, The Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29645580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionWitch22/pseuds/LionWitch22
Summary: Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been hunting for Horcruxes for months when things finally came to a boiling point causing Ron to leave his friends behind. In the weeks of his absence Hermione and Ron each have to grapple with the feelings they have for each other and what it would mean for their relationship when they reunite.Story is told from both Hermione and Ron's POV.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I've had in my head for a while. Since the books/movies focus on Harry's perspective I've wondered what it would be like to reimagine the story and focus on what is going through Ron and Hermione's minds during the weeks that Ron had left while on the hunt for Horcuxes. Each chapter will be from one of their POVs. This is written purely for fun and for my own Ronmione heart, I really hope anyone who comes across this story enjoys it as well.

**RON'S POV**

****

**IT HAS BEEN MONTHS** since Bill and Fleur's wedding. At least it felt like months, I lost count ages ago if I'm being honest. It's gotten colder since the warm August night Harry, Hermione, and I were forced to leave The Burrow. So I assume it's at least October if not November at this point. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting frustrated with the way things are going, it felt like we had accomplished nothing. As if we've been wasting our time.

It was my turn to keep a lookout outside the tent. Harry had traded spots with me about an hour ago just as Hermione had started cooking dinner. I was sitting on the cold damp dirt twirling my wand lazily between my fingers leaning against a tree, the sun was setting and I was starting to get cold. I crossed my arms over my chest, as if that would somehow make me feel any warmer. I heard Hermione's laugh coming from inside the tent. Normally that sound would fill my heart with joy but now it just filled me with jealousy and anger.

 _"What's Harry said this time to make her laugh?"_ I thought to myself. It felt like years since I had been the one to make her smile, even though I knew that wasn't the truth it still pained me to know I wasn't the one bringing her joy in this moment. I picked myself up off the ground and decided to enter the tent.

Harry and Hermione were sitting at the table together eating the soup Hermione had made from ingredients we were able to forage the day before and drinking tea, it sounded like they were joking about something that happened in third year, though I didn't catch much of the conversation. I noticed most of the lights in the tent were off besides the ones in the kitchen and eating area.

I clicked the Deluminator that Dumbledor had left for me, filling the tent with warm light and the laughter suddenly stopped as I gained their attention. 

"Yeah, I'm still here" I said, the bitterness in my voice clearly evident to the two gazing back at me, "But you two can carry on, don't let me being here spoil your fun."

Harry and Hermione shared an awkward glance at one another before looking back at me.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, though to me it sounded very much as if Harry didn't give a shit at all about how I was feeling at that moment.

"Nothing's wrong according to you, is it?" I replied, a frown prominent on my face.

"If you have a problem just say it." Harry spoke flatly.

I glanced at Hermione who looked at me with concern in her eyes, or was it pity? Was she suspecting a fight? Would she take my side? At this point I couldn't be sure anymore.

"Spit it out then." Harry demanded, interrupting my thoughts.

"Alright then. I'll _'spit it out'_ " I could feel the anger growing in my chest "It feels like we have been wasting our time here and have been accomplishing noth-"

"I thought you knew what you were getting into when you came out here with us." Harry interrupted, now standing up from the table and taking a step towards me.

I didn't break eye contact with him, though I swore out of the corner of my eye I saw Hermione reach toward him. Was she trying to keep him away from me, or just pull him closer to her?

"Yeah, I thought I did too" I mumbled under my breath rolling my eyes at him.

Harry took a few more steps closer, "Well, what part of this isn't living up to your expectations then? Is it the living arrangements? Sorry we couldn't stay in a 5 star hotel and eat in the fanciest restaurants every night but in case you had forgotten _we are in a war_ " he was now face-to-face with me "Did you think we'd have all the Horcruxes found by now? That you'd already be home with your family?"

"I just thought we would have achieved _something_ by now. I thought Dumbledore would have told you _something_. But you're completely clueless and this has been a waste of time!" my voice getting louder with every word I spoke.

In my anger I hadn't noticed Hermione get up from the table but I felt her standing next to me, her hand touched my shoulder for a brief moment before she pulled it back and took a step away. I could tell that she was scared but she stayed close to me, not breaking her gaze. Did she want to comfort me or was she trying to calm me down because she didn't want me to hurt Harry? The jealousy I felt only fueled my frustration even more.

"We've already found a Horcrux you idiot!" Harry raised his voice to match mine while gesturing to the locket around my neck.

"Yeah and we're as close to destroying this one as we are to finding the rest!" I yelled back.

At this point Harry ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and turned his back on me while Hermione stepped between us.

My hands were clenched into fists, white knuckled with rage. She softly grasped both of my wrists, but my angry gaze was anchored to the back of Harry's head. "Ron" she whispered, I could feel her bringing her fingers to my jacket zipper hoping to retrieve the locket I was wearing.

"Please, Ron take it off" I looked down at her, her beautiful brown eyes looked into mine with pain and tears welling in them.

I swatted her hands away but she took another step closer to me pleading, "Please take it off, you don't mean the things you saying"

The problem is I did feel this way. Every single word I said to Harry was the truth, with or without the locket. I stepped around Hermione bringing Harry's attention back to me "You don't get it do you. I wake up every day listening to the radio hoping I don't hear about my mum, or Ginny, or Fred, or George or-"

 _"You don't think I'm listening for their names too?"_ Harry yelled.

That was it. That was my last straw, he had no idea how it felt to constantly live in fear that his entire family would die because of this war.

"No, you _don't_ know Harry. You have no fucking family!" I screamed at him.

Before now I would have never thought let alone said these things to Harry, but I was in so much pain and I truly meant them. He tried to relate to me, to sympathize with me, but he really didn't understand. If I lost any of my family I couldn't go on. I wanted to hurt him.

I heard Hermione gasp behind me, shocked at the hateful words that left my lips. But I couldn't focus on her reaction because the very next second Harry was lunging at me. I couldn't tell if he was attacking me out of hate or if he was trying to wrestle the locket off of my neck.

"Stop! Stop it please!" Hermione's shaky voice full of tears pleaded as she tried to insert herself between us to break us apart.

I took a step back to keep Hermione from accidentally being hurt by one of us.

"Fine then leave! _Go! Get out!_ " Harry yelled at me, hate filling his eyes.

I took the locket off my neck and threw it at Harry's feet before turning to grab my coat and bag. I couldn't even look at Harry again because if I did I'm sure I would attack him out of the pure hatred that filled my chest. As I began to walk out of the tent I felt a hand wrap around my wrist and turned to see a set of sad brown eyes gazing back at me.

"Please don't..." Hermione whispered gently pulling me towards her back inside the tent, tears now streaming down her face.

"Come with me." I pleaded, I could hear the pain and longing in my own voice but I didn't know if she could.

She looked me in the eyes and hesitated. Her lips parted slightly and she quickly turned to look back at Harry before her eyes returned to mine.

She shook her head and looked at the floor "I can't." she whispered.

"Fine. I get it, I always knew it was him." I said, quickly pulling my wrist out of her grasp and turning my back on her to exit the tent.

"Ron stop!"

I didn't know where I would go, it was completely dark now and I was just walking forward through the trees mindlessly trying to focus on any options I had. The Burrow was out of the question, it was way too dangerous and I knew none of my family would have stayed after what happened at the wedding. Grimmauld Place? No, it's location wasn't a secret anymore after Dumbledore had passed. Where can I go? I was racking my brain trying to think of anywhere I could go. Anywhere but here.

"Ron!" her voice was growing distant now but I heard it so clearly. 

"Ron please don't leave!" Hermione pleaded.

I could hear the pain in her voice and my heart started pounding, tears filling my eyes. I knew if I turned around now, if I saw her face, I could never leave her. I couldn't look at her, I had to keep moving.

"Ron wait!"

_Crack._

I apparated to the first place I could think of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also just wanted to quickly add a note here at the end to say that while the timeline and the basic plot is pretty true to the canon, the specific events that occur in the story are reimagined. Anyways, hope you enjoy! :)


	2. Gone

**HERMIONE'S POV**

**I COULDN'T SEE HIM** disapparate but I heard the unmistakable sound.  
  
"Ron please! Don't leave!" I was desperate to be wrong, he couldn't have actually left us could he? He was just up ahead surely. He'd turn around and meet me here and we would walk back to the tent together and he and Harry would apologize to each other.

"Ron" I pleaded hopelessly, my voice was growing hoarse from calling after him.

The only sound that responded to me was rustling leaves in the cool autumn night air. I had no idea what to do. I sat on the cold ground and clutched my knees to my chest and put my head down. I couldn't go back to the tent now, not without him. Maybe the next time I open my eyes I'll see him standing in front of me again, I'd see his blue eyes and warm smile again. I had to stay here.

Only a few moments later I heard footsteps behind me, in any other circumstance I would have been more alert, fearing it could be snatchers or worse, but I just had no energy left in my body to care anymore. I felt someone kneel next to me and put an arm around my shoulders giving me a gentle squeeze in an attempt to comfort me.

"Come on," Harry spoke softly, "it's not safe, we need to go back to the tent."

I shook my head, keeping my head down in my knees. I couldn't bring myself to leave the spot I heard Ron disapparate from. What if he came back? Harry stood up and held out his hand

"Let's go Hermione." he said sternly but with warmth in his voice.

I let out a long exhale before looking up at his green eyes, I could still see the anger and exhaustion behind them. They weren't bright and hopeful anymore and they honestly hadn't been for a while, they were dull and flat. I wiped my tears before taking his hand. He pulled me up off the ground and we walked together silently. 

I wondered if the reason Harry didn't have anything to say to me on our walk back was because he simply had nothing nice to say about Ron or if he just didn't know what I wanted to hear. Regardless of what it was I was fine not talking, we held each other's hands the entire walk back, not letting go until we entered the tent. That small gesture was our way of comforting each other.

I didn't realize how cold I was until I was back inside the warm tent. Harry immediately went off to his side of the tent to get ready for bed as I stood in the entrance. I was exhausted from the events that took place but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I looked over at the bed Ron had slept in on our journey and felt the urge to go lay in it. I knew the pillow and blankets would smell like him, like the grass in the fields at The Burrow, sweets, and spearmint.

"You should get some sleep" Harry said emerging from his bunk, now wearing his pajamas.

Knowing fully well I wouldn't be able to fall asleep any time soon I offered to be the first to stay up and keep watch. Together Harry and I went around the tent and turned out all the lamps besides the ones on our bedside tables, a job that was admittedly much easier with Ron's Deluminator. Shortly after this Harry gave me a sympathetic smile and turned to walk back to his bunk.

I sat on an arm chair in the small living space we had facing the entrance to the tent which flapped slightly in the autumn breeze. Was Harry upset that Ron had left? After the horrible things Ron said about him having no family I couldn't tell if Harry even cared or considered Ron a friend anymore. 

I felt a pang in my chest when I thought of my own parents, the pain of erasing their memories of me is something I thought neither Harry nor Ron could relate to so I kept my feelings to myself. Would Ron have said the same thing to me if he got tired of yelling at Harry, that I had no family? Did he feel that way towards me? That I couldn't understand his pain?

Though we have always bickered, Ron and I have been joined at the hip ever since the incident with the troll in our first year. Even without Harry around we were always together, sharing laughs, visiting Hogsmeade, chatting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, not to mention all the summers I spent at The Burrow. 

We had our fair share of fights, but we always made up. When we got along it was as if we were the same person with the same thoughts. Surely he'd never think I couldn't understand how he was feeling.

If only he had taken that stupid locket off. I should have tried harder to take it from him. I could hear Harry's snores coming from his side of the tent, interrupting my thoughts and bringing me back to reality. 

My attention was brought back to Ron's bunk, my legs started moving automatically taking me over to his bed. I ran my fingers over the maroon and orange quilt that Molly had made for him years ago before sitting on the edge of the mattress. 

I recognized the quilt from his bed back at The Burrow, but instead of being greeted by the sounds of Ron's laughter, the twins blowing something up on the floor below us, or Molly calling to her children to come down for lunch, this time I was met with only the sounds of the wind whistling outside and Harry's muffled snoring from the other side of the tent.

I layed back and stared at the ceiling of the tent, though I wanted to cry I simply had no tears left. I closed my eyes and took in the scent of his pillow, and I was right, it still smelled just like him.

Suddenly I heard a branch snap loudly outside of our tent. I sat bolt upright immediately with wide eyes. I quickly looked over to Harry to see if he had woken up at the sound, but he was still sound asleep. Quietly, I slid off Ron's bed and reached my hand around to my back pocket grasping my wand as I tip-toed to the entrance of the tent. Was it Ron? Or someone wanting to attack us?

I pushed aside the fabric of the tent's entrance and stuck my head and my wand outside first, it was pitch black outside.

" _Lumos_ " I whispered. Light filled the clearing we had been camping in for the last few days. Emerging slowly and quietly out onto the cold Earth below my feet, I surveyed the surroundings. I didn't see or hear anyone or anything, I didn't dare to call out for fear of what the response could be. 

I couldn't decide which was worse, being greeted by someone wanting to attack us, or being greeted by silence confirming that Ron had in fact not returned. Shaking the thoughts from my head and realizing the sound was probably just an animal, I instead went to double check the protective spells I had cast around the perimeter of our campsite and once satisfied I let out a long sigh. Finally accepting that it would just be Harry and I from here on out.


	3. Snatchers

**RON'S POV**

****

**I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT** that where I chose to go was not the smartest idea but I panicked. I needed to get away from Harry and Hermione as fast as possible. I had gone to Ottery St Catchpole, the village I lived in my entire life until just a few months ago. I knew I couldn't go straight to The Burrow although now that I was here I couldn't deny that I had the urge to go and see my old home, but I knew that was out of the question.

Even being in this village was dangerous, my family isn't the only wizarding family to live close to the muggles around here. The Lovegoods, Longbottoms, Diggorys, and Fawcetts also lived nearby. That meant any number of people could recognize me.

Dad had to leave his job at the Ministry for his safety once it became known that I had left to help Harry on his mission. Every member of my family was tagged as "blood-traitors" and had targets on their backs now, that meant that the snatchers could be on my tail at any moment. If anyone recognized me I was in danger, even if that person was someone I trusted at one point in my life.

I started walking down the cobblestone sidewalk lit only by dim streetlamps. I had no plan, I left and I had no place to go. I was so stupid. My anger started to shift from Harry onto myself. I needed to figure out how to get back to Hermione - to both of them.

I had no idea what time it was, some houses I passed still had a few lights on so it couldn't be that late right? Maybe if I could find a place with a radio I could try and figure if there were any updates on anyone I knew. It was after about a mile of walking along the quiet empty streets when I came across a pub; The Bronze Wolf Inn. I was getting tired and my feet were hurting, I needed to stop eventually and this seemed like the best option at this point.

As I entered the dimly lit pub a bell chimed above the door alerting the bartender that I had arrived. An older portly gentleman behind the bar was cleaning glasses, he turned to me and gave me a short nod as I took a step into the warmth of the room. It looked almost completely empty besides a table in the corner where five rough looking guys sat whispering around their drinks, several empty glasses spread out between them. I really didn't want to be involved with them so I made sure not to make eye-contact with any of them and took a seat at the bar.

"What's a young man like you doing out so late on a Tuesday?" the friendly looking bartender questioned, setting down the glass he was cleaning as he turned his head towards me. So it was Tuesday, I didn't realize I had lost track of time this much. I thought better than to ask him the date, but I admit I was curious. As I looked up to reply to him I noticed a clock behind his head. It was already 11:50 pm.

"Oh uh, just had a fight with my brother. Had to get out of the house you know..." I lied.

I swore I felt eyes on the back of my head, I really didn't want anymore attention to be drawn to myself so I hoped he would accept my answer and not ask me anything else, not even to ask what I wanted to drink.

Suddenly I felt someone sit on the stool to the left of me. I refused to meet his gaze but I noticed as soon as I recognized his presence his foul smell reached my nostrils. I didn't react to this though, I wasn't about to piss anyone off when I shouldn't have been here at all.

"What're you doin' out 'ere mate? Don't you know it's not safe for kids to be out after dark these days?" I heard the man next to me grumble quietly. The bartender had gone back to cleaning and was paying no mind to us. Probably assuming nothing would escalate, things rarely went wrong in this quiet village.

When I didn't respond I felt a jab in my ribs that I recognized to be from the tip of a wand, my heart immediately started pounding. These guys were snatchers. Did they know I was a wizard? Did someone see me walking and tip them off? How was I going to get out of this?

"What's your name kid?" he questioned and knowing I couldn't get away with continuing to ignore him I needed to come up with something fast.

"I uh, my name is Stan. Stan Shunpike." _Stan Shunpike?_ If I weren't scared for my life I would have laughed at the ridiculous choice I had just made. I just hoped these guys were thick and couldn't see through my lies.

"Stan, eh?" his raspy voice stayed quiet so as to not attract attention from the bartender. But at this point the rest of his group had started standing up to walk towards me. The sound of the wooden chairs scraping across the floor grabbed the attention of the bartender.

Seeing a group of five older rough looking guys surround me must have alarmed the bartender in some way because he opened his mouth to say something to them when suddenly from behind me one of the snatchers yelled _"Stupefy!"_ the bright red spell flashed right passed my head and made me jump. The bartender flew back, knocking down several bottles and glasses off the shelves as they shattered on the floor. A few of the snatchers behind me laughed in response to the violent scene.

"Oi! Is there a Stan Shunpike on the list?" the snatcher to my left turned his head to the group behind him interrupting their fun, but his wand stayed firmly pointed at my side.

"No Stan here, but I'm not so sure this bloke isn't lyin' to us." I felt this one approach me from the right, the alcohol on his breath was strong and hit me like a ton of bricks. He reached into my jacket pocket and took my wand. _Damn._ I was completely defenseless and frozen in place. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

From behind me he heard a different voice "Well if he ain't Stan then who is he?"

"Why don't we just go down the list of names and ask him?" another voice said. Okay, so they were idiots, I thought to myself. At least a few of them were anyway. Who would go down a list of the Death Eaters' most wanted and just ask me if I was one of them? As if I would happily admit it when they inevitably read my name.

I felt the two snatchers that had just been right next to me leave the stools and return to the group. They were all arguing now, some of them were asking if anyone in the group knew Stan Shunpike and could confirm my identity, others repeated the idea to just read the list of names to me. I wondered if now was my moment, and shifted in my stool when suddenly I was on my feet being grabbed from behind by the snatcher that reeked of alcohol. He wrapped his arm around my neck tightly and pointed his wand into my side, I was restrained from making any sort of escape.

"Where you think you're going?" the foul-smelling snatcher brought his attention back to me while the others continued to argue behind him. This one was pointing my own wand at me.

I needed to come up with a plan fast. One of the two snatchers who had been arguing threw a punch at the other, momentarily getting the attention of the snatcher that was holding me. It was now or never.

As I felt the man's grasp on me loosen momentarily and I swiftly jabbed my elbow into his stomach causing him to double over and drop his wand. Before the foul-smelling snatcher could even react I dove for the wand on the ground beside me as it's owner was groaning and clutching his abdomen. From the ground I rolled over and pointed the wand straight at the snatcher who was staring at me with anger in his eyes and shouted _"Expelliarmus!"_ and my wand flew out of his hand. I quickly reached for it and disapparated before any of the others could react to what had just happened.


	4. Moving On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a quick heads up, this is the last of the chapters I have written ahead. I originally started posting on Wattpad before I began crossposting to AO3, so I had a backlog of chapters that I was able to post every day. 
> 
> So with that being said, updates on this story will go from every day to probably every 2-3 days.
> 
> Also when I began writing I intended to end it with Ron returning and destroying the locket. But if everyone is enjoying the story I may continue it through the Battle of Hogwarts. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

**HERMIONE'S POV**

****

**_IT WAS OUR VERY FIRST TRIP TO HOGSMEADE_** _, unfortunately Harry hadn't been able to get his permission slip signed and McGonagall refused to let him join us as a result. Ron and I wouldn't tell Harry but we didn't mind it being just the two of us. Of course we wanted to spend extra time with Harry and we felt bad knowing how disappointed he was, but Ron and I always got on well when it was just us - as long as we weren't arguing about Crookshanks and Scabbers, of course._

_Ron wanted to go straight to Honeydukes, his mum had sent him a bit more pocket change in her last owl to him in preparation for the trip. When we walked in I was absolutely amazed and overwhelmed by all the options. The sugary smell that filled the air was absolutely lovely and students were crowding around every aisle, tempted to grab one of every sweet._

_I ended up only getting myself a Chocolate Frog while Ron spoiled himself with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's, and Licorice Wands. Molly had told him not to spend all of his money in one place, but he failed to follow that advice miserably._

_As we exited the store Ron was already excitedly opening the package to his Every Flavor Beans. He tilted the box to me, "Want one?"_

_I timidly reached my hand in and grabbed a bright red jelly bean, surely this one couldn't be horrible, maybe it would be cherry. He pulled out a grayish-brown one and we both popped them into our mouths at the same time hoping for the best. I ended up with cinnamon which was lovely, warm, and spicy. Ron on the other hand bent over and spit his out on the ground immediately, almost dropping the entire box of jelly beans in the process._

_"Ugh, dog food." He groaned, clutching his stomach as he stood up straight._

_I laughed so hard I almost fell over. Ron was laughing too even though it was at his expense, "Shut up, Hermione." He said with a warm smile._

I awoke suddenly to Harry shaking my shoulders. I was startled by the sudden wake up call and didn't realize I was laying on Ron's bed, still in my clothes from the night before. The trip to Honeydukes was only a dream, a distant memory of simpler times. I hadn't remembered falling asleep and going off the fact that it was still dark outside, I hadn't been asleep for very long.

"Sorry Hermione. I woke up to keep watch for a while and noticed you had fallen asleep, but as I was sitting there I got to thinking," he looked frantic and anxious, "I figured it would be better if we move before the sunrise. We've been here for a few days already. I think it's safest to head out sooner rather than later."

It felt like Harry was speaking a million miles a minute and I was struggling to keep up with what he was saying to me. I pushed myself up and threw my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing my eyes trying to force myself awake.

"What are you saying? Leave now? What time is it?" I asked, finally registering what Harry was suggesting.

"It's about 4:30. I know it's early, I'm sorry. I just have this feeling we should move soon." He was pacing next to Ron's bed and rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

I followed his motions with my eyes and when he pulled his hand away from his neck I noticed the chain of the locket for just a moment before it was hidden once again by the collar of his jacket. Is that what was causing his paranoia?

"Are you feeling alright Harry? I'm sorry I fell asleep while I was meant to be watching the tent. If that's what's making you feel scared-"

"I'm not scared Hermione," he snapped, cutting me off before I could finish my sentence, "it's just stupid to stay here." Normally I would scold him for being rude, but after last night I didn't have the emotional energy to argue with him, Harry was all I had left.

I stood up and grabbed him by the shoulders to make him stop pacing, "Harry look at me."

When he finally met my gaze I saw how bloodshot his eyes were, he looked crazed and very unlike himself. It was frightening to see him this way.

"Harry, why would we leave now? We can wait until sunrise, surely. What if Ron comes looking for us and sees that we left?" as the mention of Ron left my lips Harry stepped back and frowned at me.

"He's not coming back, Hermione."

I shook my head at him fighting back tears, "You don't know that. He could be out there looking for us now. He could have changed his mind, Harry. What if he can't find us if we leave?"

"What if I don't _want_ him to find us?" he said coldly.

He looked into my eyes intensely, all I saw in them was anger and fear. I slowly stepped towards him and reached around his neck to grab the chain of the locket, pulling it over his head and placing it around my own neck, "I can wear this for a while, you've been wearing it since Ron left."

He didn't object, he only nodded before sighing and sitting on Ron's bed, looking down at his feet. I sat next to him and rested my hand on top of his, forcing him to look at me. He gave me a weak apologetic smile, but said nothing.

We sat there silently for a while, the tent had started filling with a cool dim light from the late-Autumn sunrise.

"Hermione." Harry whispered.

I turned my head towards him but he wasn't looking at me, he was looking straight ahead. I think he was avoiding my gaze because he knew what he was about to say next was something I didn't want to hear. "I still think we should leave. I'm sorry, I know you want to stay in case Ron comes back, but we do have to leave today. We were planning to leave this morning even if Ron was with us, remember? We can't delay our plans just because he left."

"I know, I just-" I cut myself off and shook my head trying to prevent the tears from welling in my eyes. I didn't even know how to object. I just knew I wasn't ready to leave.

The thought of Ron coming back and seeing that we had left broke my heart all over again. I pictured him standing there alone in the clearing. What would he think of us? He'd think that we really didn't care and abandoned him entirely. If he was looking for us and couldn't find us he would just be putting himself in danger and I hated the thought of him getting hurt. The memory of him being splinched was painful enough, I wouldn't forgive myself if anything else happened to him.

If I could stay in this exact spot forever waiting for Ron to return, I would. But I know Harry wouldn't let me do that. He was still furious with Ron, and to be fair his mind was probably more focused on the mission Dumbledore had given him, rather than on Ron or myself. I honestly didn't blame him for that, I just wished he would try to be a little more understanding. More understanding could have prevented Ron from leaving last night.

"We can leave something behind for him." I suggested.

"Leave something?"

"Yeah, like a marker. If he comes back to look for us he'll know that we were here."

It didn't seem like Harry was entirely following, but he didn't object to the idea, "Okay, so what would we leave?"

I looked around my immediate surroundings for options, it needed to be something recognizable to him but not valuable. Without thinking I reached up to mess with my scarf, something I usually did when I was nervous or stressed. That's when I realized.

I unwrapped the scarf from my neck and held it towards Harry, "We could leave this. I wear it all the time, and it smells like me. I think he would recognize it. I hope so anyway."

-

I had finally agreed to leave and we had been spending the last half hour packing everything into my bag. The sun was beginning to creep over the hills and the frost on the ground crunched beneath our shoes as we stowed away the last of the tent. I looked around the clearing to find a place to leave my scarf. I couldn't just leave it on the ground, an animal might take it or a gust of wind could blow it into the nearby brook. My eyes finally came to rest on the tree closest to where the tent had been set up.

I took the scarf from around my neck and brought it to my lips, giving it a quick kiss before wrapping it around the tree, securing it with a knot. It wasn't a very sentimental scarf, I liked it of course, but its purpose now was way more important than being an accessory I enjoyed wearing. It was my last message to Ron before I would be completely lost to him.

My heart beat fast with the anxiety of leaving the last known area he had seen us, I knew it was unlikely he would ever find us but I was willing to leave him signs at every stop Harry and I made until we were reunited if that's what it took. I stood there staring at the scarf on the tree for what felt like an eternity. When I felt a hand on my shoulder it made me jump and I whipped around to see Harry behind me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." he said softly, he was looking much more calm than he had earlier.

"It's alright, I was just lost in my thoughts that's all." I assured him.

"I just came over to say everything's packed up now. Are you ready?"

I sighed and looked up at the sky, it was another cold overcast day and I wasn't looking forward to winter, with the way things have been going I know we will be at it for another few months at least.

I brought my attention back to Harry, "Honestly, I'm not ready. But let's go before I change my mind."

Harry handed me my bag which I slung over my shoulder as he took my hand, squeezing it gently attempting to reassure me that we were doing the right thing. "Whenever you're ready Hermione."

I nodded and took my wand out. I needed to think of our next destination, I needed to clear my head to make sure we got there safely so I closed my eyes and focused. No more thinking of Ron, erase the scarf from my mind. I exhaled calmly and suddenly felt the similar squeezing sensation of apparition and we were gone.


	5. Shell Cottage

**RON'S POV**

****

After escaping from the Snatchers I quickly apparated to where I thought Harry and Hermione had been. To be honest, the shock of everything that had happened in the pub hadn't fully hit me yet. I was on full autopilot, my fight or flight response kicked into overdrive and I just had to get out of there as fast as possible.

I wasn't very concentrated on my destination when I apparated and by the looks of my surroundings, I realized I had probably ended up miles off course. I'm honestly just lucky I didn't get splinched again, especially without Hermione with me. I'd probably bleed to death if that were the case. But I'm safe, for now.

I hate apparating, it always makes me feel like I've been hit by a bus. A strong wave of nausea and dizziness suddenly washed over me and I had to sit on the ground to avoid passing out. Either I was getting more sensitive to apparition or the shock of the events in the pub was finally catching up and hitting me all at once. I closed my eyes and focused on the cold air around me, taking deep breaths and trying to get my mind off of how awful I felt.

Once I got my bearings I took a better look at my surroundings. There was no clearing and no brook near where I had appeared, it looked nothing like the camp the three of us had set up a few days ago and I had no way of knowing which direction I was meant to walk to even attempt to try to find my way back to Hermione and Harry. It was pitch black except for the silver light of the full moon that peaked through the trees and reflected off the frost on the ground.

I still had two wands in my grasp; mine and the Snatcher's, who I swore had Troll blood running through his veins just based on how horrid he had smelled. I took a deep breath of the late-autumn air and forced myself to stand up, pocketing the extra wand and holding my own out in front of me.

" _Lumos_ "

The area quickly lit up and all I could see around me was thick brush and large old oak trees. I looked around to see there was no clear path worn in by any previous hikers and realized I was much deeper into the woods than I should have been. Knowing that staying here was doing me no good I decided to move my feet, carrying myself forward in a random direction hoping I would come across any sign of life.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the feeling of hopelessness started to grow more and more. Leaving Harry and Hermione had led to nothing but problems and it had only been a few hours. If I couldn't find them soon I knew it would only get worse, I hated myself for being selfish and bitter enough to leave.

The biggest regret in my life is the fact that I didn't turn around when Hermione begged me to stay. I should have turned around and ran back to her when she called out my name. I should have pulled her into my chest and run my hands through her hair as I apologized and promised her that I would never leave her.

I'd give anything to see Hermione again, to brush a stray strand of her curly hair behind her ear so that I could look directly into her warm brown eyes, to see her beautiful smile and hear her wonderful laugh that always made my heart skip a beat, and to hug her tight, holding her close to me and never letting her go ever again.

I would never find them here, I was lost with no direction. Then I realized there was one place I could still go, but it was far away. I'd need to really focus if I wanted to make it there in one piece and not way off course.

I closed my eyes and blocked out the sounds of the leaves rustling around me. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before disapparating.

When I landed the sounds of waves crashing entered my ears, letting me know that I had succeeded. I opened my eyes to see Shell Cottage just a little ways down the beach. The relief I felt in that moment was almost too much to handle. I dropped to my knees and landed in the sand below me, I let out a laugh as the anxiety left my chest and a tear joy trickled from my eye. I wasn't lost anymore.

It was the middle of the night at this point and I knew knocking on the door would raise alarm. But I couldn't just stay out here until morning. Even though I was on the beach, it being sometime between October or November meant that it was still entirely too cold for me to survive without any shelter. I had to brave it and face my brother who would no doubt try to attack me.

Forcing myself to stand up, I gazed at the house that my brother and sister-in-law were sleeping soundly in. I knew holding my wand would be seen as a threat, so I reached around and tucked it into my back pocket. Dragging my feet through the sand, I made my way to the front door. The fear of Bill's reaction kept me from knocking right away as my brain and my arm fought for control. Eventually I was able to force myself to rap my knuckles against the door, banging loudly enough to wake Bill and Fleur but attempting to not be forceful enough to cause fear.

No lights came on inside the house but I heard footsteps approaching the door. The door cracked open only slightly as a lit wand pointed at my face. The next thing I knew I was being forcefully grabbed by the collar of my shirt and pushed away from the house, the wand still pointed aggressively at my face and the angry eyes of my eldest brother burning into mine.

"Bill, it's me! It's Ron!" I panted, raising my hands in surrender.

My heart was pounding and I was breathing fast. I knew that Bill might have been expecting it to be a Death Eater stealing my identity to try and harm him and his wife, but that thought didn't help comfort me now that I was in that exact situation. I was afraid.

"How old were you when Fred and George tried to force you into an Unbreakable Vow?" Bill shouted.

"I- what?" I sputtered, my mind was spinning and I could barely think let alone form any words.

" _How old?_ " Bill raised his voice with more urgency, tightening his grip on my collar.

"Five! I was five!" I stuttered, fear filling every part of my body.

Bill lowered his wand, which was a relief, but he kept his grasp on my collar and pulled me into the house quickly, slamming the door behind him and locking it.

"Sit." He ordered as he released my shirt and pointed at the kitchen table.

Bill flicked his wand and the lights in the kitchen came on instantly, momentarily burning my eyes causing me to squint as they adjusted to the light. I did as I was told and sat down at the table, staring at my brother and not daring to speak. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms as he looked at me.

He didn't say anything for a while, just stared at me. I was feeling incredibly awkward and wished he would just say something, that or I wished I could read his mind. Eventually Bill sighed as he pulled out the chair across from me and sat down, he rested his arms on the table and leaned forward still looking at me intently.

"Why are you here?" Bill asked in a soft but serious tone.

"I- I mean, it's complicated." I replied, furrowing my brows and shaking my head.

"I have time."

I took in a deep breath and recounted everything to Bill. The argument with Harry, Hermione pleading for me to stay, going back to Ottery St Catchpole, escaping the Snatchers, getting lost in the woods- Bill's brows were furrowed and he was hanging on to every word I said.

"And now I'm here." I finished, hanging my head down realizing all of that had occurred in just one night. I was truly exhausted.

Suddenly we heard footsteps on the floor above us and turned our heads towards the staircase.

"Bill?" Fleur spoke as she glided into the room elegantly.

The sight of me had clearly shocked her, she took a step back as her lips parted slightly in surprise before she snapped her head towards her husband. Bill gestured his head to the seat next to him, encouraging her to join us at the table.

Despite it being the middle of the night, Fleur was still beautiful as ever, though she had a confused expression plastered on her face as she sat next to Bill across from me.

"What is going on?" she asked Bill softly, it seemed almost like she was ignoring me.

He must have known how exhausted I was because he didn't ask me to recount the story, he merely rested a hand on Fleur's hand before replying, "I'll tell you in the morning, Ron has had a long night."

But Fleur wasn't satisfied with that, she turned to me and narrowed her eyes, "Why did you leave her?"

"Oh Merlin." I groaned, leaning back in my seat and running my hands over my face in frustration.

I really did not want to have this conversation right now about _why_ I left. I opened my eyes to see the intensity in her look hadn't wavered as I avoided answering.

_But why did she say "her" instead of "them"? Why had Fleur only asked about Hermione? I thought to myself. Surely Fleur hadn't known about my feelings for Hermione right? I never told anyone, not even Harry. Unless Hermione had talked to her? But what could Hermione have said to make Fleur focus on me leaving her behind rather than Harry?_

I realized Fleur and I had been intensely looking at each other for quite a while, like she was trying to read my mind. Bill cleared his throat to break the tension, we both looked at him as he stood from the table.

"Love, I think we best let Ron get some sleep. We can ask him more questions tomorrow." He said as he rested a gentle hand on his still seated wife's shoulder.

"Fine." she replied with an annoyed tone. She stood and rested a hand on Bill's cheek as she gave him a quick kiss before turning and leaving the room.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she called back to me without a second glance and with a sarcastic tone said "Sleep well, Ronald."

Bill rubbed his hand on the back of his neck after his wife had retreated back to their bedroom, "Sorry about that Ron."

"I expected worse honestly." I shrugged.

"You'll probably get worse in the morning. Come on, I'll show you to the guest room."

Fully knowing I would be interrogated by Fleur in just a few hours was enough to make me want to lock myself in the guest room for the rest of my stay with them, however long that would be. I followed Bill upstairs, the lights in the master bedroom were off signifying that Fleur had already gone back to sleep.

Just across the hall from their room Bill stopped and opened the door to let me in. It was a nice room with large windows overlooking the ocean, but despite the beautiful view, my eyes went straight to the bed instead. I craved sleep now more than I ever had before in my life.

"Sleep well Ron." Bill said with concern in his voice.

"I'll try."


	6. The Plan

**HERMIONE'S POV**

**HARRY HAS HAD US MOVING** camp nearly every day. Sometimes he would give us an extra day if he was feeling especially exhausted, but most mornings we were picking up and leaving to set up a new camp right when Harry woke up. I think he is just getting restless. We usually hike most of the day, I think all the walking just helps keep Harry's mind occupied. 

I've noticed that he gets more tense when he does nothing but sit and think, I know it's probably mostly caused by the locket, but I'm sure there's a lot of things contributing to his mood that I can't even begin to comprehend. We've exhausted all of our ideas on destroying the locket at this point and it has just been looming over our heads, I know that has been frustrating him.

Today's hike was exceptionally cold. When I packed for us before the wedding, I had no way of knowing how long we would be on the hunt, but I'm glad I erred on the side of caution when packing our clothes. I still had some of Ron's clothes in my bag and knowing that the jumpers Molly knit were incredibly warm, I decided to wear one of Ron's many maroon sweaters with a large yellow "R" on the front that he would get for Christmas every year.

It's been about five days since Ron left. Before that I wasn't really worried about keeping track of the days since it felt depressing to track how long we've been hunting and how little we have accomplished. But since he left us I have been more focused on how long he has been gone. There isn't much to do these days other than walk and think about time passing anyway.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't incredibly scared for him. During our school days I could usually go the entire summer holiday just fine without hearing from him, due to him being absolutely rubbish about responding to letters. But each passing hour without hearing from him now just made my anxiety worse and worse.

I hope he found his family. Thoughts of him being lost, hurt, or even dead started creeping back into my mind, so I decided I needed to break the silence with Harry. Even if he wasn't feeling talkative, I knew I couldn't keep drowning in my thoughts silently.

"Are you warm enough Harry? I could probably find a scarf in my bag if you need it?"

He was a few paces in front of me, sometimes I thought he might have forgotten I was following him since he always seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and just letting his feet carry him forward mindlessly.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Thanks Hermione." he replied after a moment of hesitation.

We walked quietly for a little while longer before I decided I needed to break the silence once more.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked, though I was nervous that he wouldn't feel much like going into it.

"Oh, well I've been thinking about somewhere I've been wanting to go. I've just been feeling this pull recently, but I don't know. It's probably not a good idea anyway." he shrugged.

"Well, where is it?"

"It doesn't matter, it's silly." he shook his head

Over the years I've noticed Harry tends to push his desires to the side or brush them off as unimportant, but I know him much better than that, he wouldn't bring it up if it wasn't important to him. It may take some prying and nagging, much to his annoyance, but I can usually get him to open up if I push him into it. 

Plus, if he has an idea of somewhere we should go it may help us figure out a way to destroy the locket, or even lead us to another Horcrux. It had to be more useful than the aimless hiking we have been doing this week.

"I'm sure it's not silly, Harry."

"Can we drop it Hermione?"

"We can drop it _for now_ but we will talk about it later." I said with a hint of seriousness in my voice.

He merely grumbled in response, and while I couldn't see his face as he was still walking strides ahead of me, I could sense him rolling his eyes.

-

By mid-afternoon Harry decided he was satisfied with how far we have travelled and we began setting up our camp. As usual I was tasked with setting up protective spells around the perimeter, and given how often we were moving I had grown a rhythm to it and felt confident in my ability to set it up swiftly and effectively.

Harry always took over setting up the tent, sometimes it would take him a while to retrieve it from my bag, but I couldn't blame him. I wanted to be completely prepared for most scenarios so I had probably over packed a bit, making things difficult to find without resorting to a summoning charm.

We still had probably about an hour left of sunlight by the time our camp was completely set up. As the sun began to set I got to thinking about area we were in. It was probably beautiful in the springtime, it was a more open grassy area with only a few trees around. But with winter setting in, the grass was brown and coated with a thick layer of frost and the trees that I could imagine being green and lush any other time of the year were grey and barren.

The period between autumn and winter is my least favorite, the beauty of the warm autumn colors have disappeared but the elegance of a thick blanket of snow hasn't set in yet. It felt like being in limbo between seasons, which only emphasized my feelings about our current situation.

Upon entering the tent I retrieved my bag from the armchair Harry set it on to dig out a few jars to contain my bluebell flames to warm up the tent. I set one in the living area and one on the dining table, where I found Harry fiddling with the locket between his fingers. He hadn't acknowledged my arrival but I decided to sit across from him after setting down the jar anyway.

I watched him for a moment, trying to study his face. He was expressionless other than a few instances where his brows would furrow for a brief moment before going back to their relaxed state.

"Yes, Hermione?" he spoke without breaking his eyes away from the locket.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat before responding, "Everything alright?"

He shrugged before handing the locket to me. Without a word, I instinctively took it from him and strung it around my neck. Hoping to get his mind off of it, I tucked it inside my jumper out of sight. He interlocked his fingers and twiddled his thumbs, I got the sense he wanted to say something but was struggling to find the words.

I just hope he doesn't want to talk about Ron. I feel like we have silently agreed not to talk about him because it hurt too much.

"What is it Harry?"

"I want to go to Godric's Hollow." he said in a very straightforward tone. I got the sense right away that he was telling me, rather than asking me.

"You mean where-" I cut myself off before mentioning his parents, I needed to rethink what I wanted to say, "Are you sure that's a good idea? It seems dangerous."

He finally looked away from his hands and into my eyes, "I just feel like I have to go there Hermione. I can't explain it."

I stood from the table without responding. His gaze followed me as I paced around the dining area for a moment. To me it felt like a suicide mission. Voldemort had to expect Harry to want to return to where his parents died right?

But I know Harry probably wouldn't take no for an answer. I would much rather go with him than have him doing something reckless and decide to go there alone. Plus, while Harry's motivations might be emotional, Godric's Hollow is the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor and maybe we would get lucky and come across his sword. It was a long shot, but we didn't have any other leads.

I stopped pacing and turned to Harry, "Alright."

"Alright?" the tone of confusion was clear in his voice.

"We'll go to Godric's Hollow." I said as I returned to my seat across from him.

I saw the corner of his lip turn up at my response.

"But we need a plan." I clarified in a stern tone.

"We have my cloak." he reminded me.

"Yes but it's still risky, we need more than the cloak. Out of everywhere in the world I have to imagine he would think you'd want to return there at some point, wouldn't he? We need to be careful."

"Yeah, I know, you're right." He paused for a moment, seeming to recall something, "At the wedding Aunt Muriel mentioned something about Bathilda Bagshot living in Godric's Hollow. I imagine Dumbledore may have told her something."

"There are probably so many reasons You-Know-Who doesn't want you to return there, and even more reasons for him to hunt for you there." I said, unable to hide the concern in my voice.

He reached over and placed his hand on top of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

"We'll be okay, I promise. We have my cloak and we'll make a plan. We won't rush into anything."

I felt myself calm slightly at his words. Harry could tend to be rather reckless, so I think his willingness to think everything through meant he knew the gravity of the situation. I could already imagine us apparating right into the middle of a group of Snatchers or even having to face Voldemort himself. I attempted to shake those thoughts from my mind as I started to come up with a plan in my head.

"Well, we still have a tiny bit of Polyjuice Potion left." I mentioned after a few moments of thought.

Harry nodded before adding, "Yeah, that's good, that could work. It doesn't give us a ton of time, but if something happens to the cloak we will still be protected."

We spent the rest of the evening and well into the night sitting at the dining table planning out all the details of our visit to Godric's Hollow. We ultimately decided to wait a few more days before going. We needed to make sure our plan was completely fool-proof, I had a horrible feeling of dread about going, but I knew it was inevitable and that Harry would go there eventually whether I agreed with him or not. If he had to go I wanted to make sure I was right by his side, for emotional support and for his safety.


	7. The Deluminator

**RON'S POV**

****

**  
****I DIDN'T SLEEP WELL AT ALL,** though it was nice to sleep in a real bed for once, rather than in a cot in a tent. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get my mind off Hermione, so I laid there all night, tossing and turning, unable to shut off my thoughts. I just wish I knew where she was, I know Harry would do anything to keep her safe - hell, she'd keep herself safe no doubt. I know she's an incredible witch, but that still doesn't keep me from worrying about her.

I've been staring at the ceiling in this room since before dawn, I think I know it better than I know my own face at this point. The lack of motivation to get up, knowing I'd be confronted by Bill and Fleur if I did, was keeping me anchored to the bed. _Come on Ron, just get it over with._ I don't know if my mental pep talks were doing me any good, honestly.

Maybe I could just jump out the window and swim into the ocean, maybe I'll find a good deserted island to live out the rest of my days. It was a tempting idea when the alternative was getting the third degree from my sister-in-law.

Avoiding Fleur much longer would be nearly impossible, I know she'll come find me sooner or later, so I figured it was better to just bite the bullet and deal with her interrogation than hide in my room all morning. I pushed the quilt off my body and made my way to the bathroom, thinking that maybe taking a hot shower and washing the dirt away from my body would also wash away the fear I had of Fleur's questioning. Wishful thinking.

After my shower, I quickly changed into an old Chudley Cannons shirt and a pair of jeans and made my way downstairs. To no surprise, Bill and Fleur were already sitting side by side at the kitchen table waiting for me. Rather than asking any questions of my own or even offering them a greeting, I reluctantly took a seat across from them, preparing myself for the worst.

At first Fleur said nothing to me, she didn't even acknowledge that I was there. She just silently sipped her tea and flipped through a cooking magazine. Her silence made me feel more anxious, I just wanted her to rip the bandage off already. I looked over at Bill, trying to read his face and gauge the situation but he just shook his head at me. This was all Fleur, he was just here if things got too heated. They were the good cop and the bad cop.

Finally, she closed the magazine and looked up at her husband, "I think I will make a lemon cake this weekend."

She then turned her attention to me, finally acknowledging my presence, "How did you sleep, Ron?"

That question was innocent enough on its own, but for some reason it felt like a silent threat coming from her. I feel like she didn't want me to sleep well, as if she wanted me to be awake all night thinking of my actions. If that was the case, then she definitely got what she wanted. 

But I'm probably just projecting my feelings about myself onto Fleur, honestly. She was most likely just trying to ask how I was, rather than wishing me the worst. Why wouldn't she just come out and say whatever she wanted to say to me though? Merlin, why am I so scared of this woman?

"Fine." I lied, nervously playing with the hem of my shirt under the table.

She nodded, setting down her empty tea cup and clasping her hands together on the table, preparing herself for the conversation we were about to have. I wonder if she had this rehearsed, surely not right? Now that she was giving me her full undivided attention, her icy blue eyes were burning into mine. Her gaze made me feel like she was trying to invade my mind and read my thoughts, and I had a horrible feeling that if we stared at each other for much longer she may have actually done so.

"Bill has told me everything that happened last night." she stated plainly, finally breaking the silence.

I just nodded, I didn't know what she wanted me to say. I'm not sure that anything I could say would be satisfactory enough for her. I think she got the sense that I had no intention of speaking, so she continued.

"You told Bill _what_ happened, but you did not tell him _why_." she added.

Why? She wanted to know why I left? There's a million reasons, most of which lead back to Hermione in some way or another. Beyond my better judgement I just shrugged at her question, which did not sit right with her.

"You left your two best friends behind in the middle of the night and came here. You nearly got caught by Snatchers in the process and now you have no idea where either of them are, and all you are going to do is shrug?" her voice was growing more impatient with me.

I groaned and leaned back in my chair as I ran my hands over my face and into my hair that was still damp from the shower.

"It's complicated, Fleur."

"So explain it to me."

I really did not want to admit to my brother and sister-in-law that I was jealous of Harry getting all of Hermione's attention, that I missed my family and just wanted to go home, and that I was getting sick of accomplishing nothing every day and wanted to give up.

Every reason I had for leaving was purely selfish and I really didn't want to come across that way. I know that I'm not perfect, but I've always tried to be loyal to Harry, even when I was a prat I still came around in the end. But this time I totally dropped the ball and I've regretted it since the moment I apparated away from them.

"Darling, I think he realizes he made a mistake." Bill spoke softly, resting a hand on his wife's shoulder.

But Fleur wasn't giving in, "If he wants to stay in this house, he will explain himself to us."

The intensity in Fleur's voice let me know I couldn't beat around the bush much longer.

"There's a few reasons I left." I finally spoke up, meeting her eyes once more.

"I am listening."

"I missed my family. Listening to the radio every day and listening for any mention of you two, or Ginny, or Fred, or any of them was really getting to me. I was having anxiety everyday thinking _'Today might be the day I hear about mum dying'_ and all those dark thoughts were starting to be too much. Being away was getting harder every day and I just wanted to go home."

Fleur nodded, signaling for me to continue as she was forming her own opinions.

"I was also frustrated with Harry."

"Why?"

"We weren't getting anything done. I blamed him for things he couldn't control, Dumbledore hadn't really given him much guidance and I put that all on him. It wasn't his fault, I know that now, but at the time I was angry and he was the target. And I was jealous-"

"Jealous of what?" Fleur interrupted.

"Harry and Hermione. I know it sounds stupid now, but at the time I just couldn't get over it. Every time he made her laugh or made her smile it killed me. Any time they looked at each other for longer than a few seconds I felt like they were falling in love with each other. But I shouldn't have left, I'm a git, I know that."

"You are a fool, Ronald Weasley." Fleur said, despite the insult her voice had more of a softness to it.

"What?" I asked. Though I didn't disagree with her statement, the tone in her voice confused me.

"Surely you know Hermione has had feelings for you for years."

I shook my head, "I asked her to leave with me, I practically begged and she turned me down. She picked Harry."

"She picked the journey you all agreed to go on _together_ , not Harry."

"Even if that were true, she won't want me now that I've abandoned her."

"So find them."

"And how am I meant to do that?"

She made it sound like it would be so easy, that I could somehow just walk out the door and suddenly know exactly where they were. It was impossible, and that's a big part of the reason I regretted leaving in the first place. When I tried to go back after escaping the Snatchers I was just met with an empty forest and no signs of them. Now doubt they would be on the move several times before I even made my way out to try and find them again, if I even bothered trying.

It was a lost cause and I had to deal with the fact that I just didn't know where my friends were or if they were even safe. My only option was to listen to Potterwatch and hope I never heard either of their names.

"You will find a way. The three of you always find a way." she said with confidence as she stood up, collecting the empty mugs from the table and gracefully walking over to the sink to clean them.

Taking her departure from the table as a sign that she was through with me, I quickly took the opportunity to escape from the kitchen and back up to my room where I fully intended on spending the remainder of the day.

-

Nearly a week passed at Shell Cottage and I had only come out of my room for food and to use the restroom. Bill and Fleur didn't bother me anymore after my first day here and it was almost like they didn't even have an extra guest in the house beyond preparing one extra plate for each meal. But even so, I still had Fleur's voice ringing in my head non-stop. _"You will find a way."_

The pressure of finding them with no leads was incredibly frustrating. It was nearing Christmas and I still had no clue what to do, or if I should just stay at Shell Cottage hoping they somehow found me. With each passing day I felt more and more useless and alone. Those feelings weren't helped by the anticipation of the upcoming holidays.

Bill and I had agreed that me going to see the rest of my family for Christmas would be a terrible idea. Though I desperately wanted to see all of them, walking in the door would be admitting to all of them that I had abandoned Harry and Hermione and we didn't think it would lead to a very happy Christmas.

The two of them offered to stay at Shell Cottage for Christmas with me. Though they told me that they had always intended on spending their first Christmas as a couple in their new home rather than with the whole family, I got the feeling that they pitied me and would feel guilty leaving me on my own. Or maybe they were worried what I would do if they left me alone, I wasn't entirely sure.

I was laying on the bed in my room, lazily flicking my Deluminator on and off. I know flicking the lamps on and off annoys Fleur and one of them will eventually come up here and tell me to knock it off, but until then I just kept going. On and off, on and off, my hand moved automatically as my mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Hermione.

I missed the smell of her hair, I had memorized the type of shampoo she used years ago because she always smelled sweet like vanilla and honey. I missed the sound of her voice, even when she was annoyed or upset with me. I'd gladly listen to her yell at me for the rest of my life if it meant I could hear her voice.

I missed her touch, every time she accidentally brushed up against my arm while we walked to class or when she would graze my hand as she pulled away my quill to correct something on my homework, I would get butterflies. I missed her eyes, the way she looked at me filled me up with a warmth I couldn't explain. Those beautiful deep brown eyes made me melt every time she looked at me.

Merlin, I'm in love with her.

As I clicked the Deluminator to fill the room with light once more, the glowing orb seemed to hesitate as it floated in front of me for just a moment. Before I could even react I heard a voice, _her voice._

_"Ron..."_

"What the hell?" I panicked and clicked the Deluminator again, the orb disappeared into the device and I was left in the dark of the room, confused and scared.

 _That couldn't have been real, right_? _I'm just imagining things_. I thought to myself. The temptation to click the device again was strong, I won't lie. I'd kill to hear her voice again. But on the other hand I'm convinced I'm starting to go mad. The lack of sleep this past week is getting to me, I'm sure of it. There's no way I heard Hermione just now. No way...

I set the Deluminator down on my side table and laid down, rolling away from it and closing my eyes so I wasn't tempted by the sight of it. There was no way, no way...

Soon, I drifted off into a deep sleep filled with dreams of Hermione, dreams of her saying my name and beckoning me back to her...back home.


End file.
